Finals

Okay really, I promise I'm trying to study hard. I'm giving my finals my all!

 

28, 29, 30...Almost there

To finish off my gratitude list for the month of November...

28-Our First Full Size Christmas Tree
29-My new favorite snack, Trader Joes Kettle Corn

30-Pandora Radio (I don't drive a car anymore, so I have to listen to the Radio somehow.)

Without these three I wouldn't make it through this semester. I'm so ready for next Saturday. Bring on the Christmas break! Only one week of finals left. Here we go!

The Gospel Vision of the Arts

Spencer W. Kimball
“The Gospel Vision of the Arts”
Tambuli, Feb 1978, 1

In our world, there have risen brilliant stars in drama, music, literature, sculpture, painting, science, and all the fields of excellence. For long years I have had a vision of members of the Church greatly increasing their already strong positions of excellence till the eyes of all the world will be upon us.

President John Taylor so prophesied, as he emphasized his words with this directive:

“You mark my words, and write them down and see if they do not come to pass.

“You will see the day that Zion will be far ahead of the outside world in everything pertaining to learning of every kind as we are today in regard to religious matters.

“God expects Zion to become the praise and glory of the whole earth, so that kings hearing of her fame will come and gaze upon her glory. …” (September 20, 1857; see The Messenger, July 1953.)

With regard to masters, surely there must be many of the quality of Wagners (Richard Wagner, 1813–83) in the Church, approaching him or yet to come in the future—young people with a love of art, talent supreme, and eagerness to create. I hope we may produce men greater than this German composer, Wagner, but less eccentric, more spiritual.

Who of us has not sat spellbound with Aida, Il Trovatore, or other of the masterpieces of Verdi (1813–1900)? Can there never be another Verdi or his superiors? Could we not find and develop a Bach (1685–1750)—to whom music, especially organ and choral music, owes almost as much as a religion does to its founder, say some musicians. Our day, our time, our people, our generation, should produce such, as we catch the total vision of our potential and dreams and see visions of the future.

Brigham Young said, “Every accomplishment, every refined talent every useful attainment in mathematics, music, and in all sciences and art belong to the Saints.”

As I have traveled throughout the Church, many times I have been entranced with sweet and lovely voices. I believe that deep in the throats of these faithful Saints of today and tomorrow are superior qualities which, superbly trained, can equal or surpass these known great singers.

Members of the Church should be peers or superiors to any others in natural ability, extended training, plus the Holy Spirit which should bring them light and truth. With hundreds of “men of God” and their associates so blessed, we have the base for an increasingly efficient and worthy corps of talent.

One great artist was asked which of all his productions was the greatest. His prompt answer was, “The next.”

If we strive for perfection—the best and greatest—and are never satisfied with mediocrity, we can excel. In the field of both composition and performance, why cannot someone write a greater oratorio than Handel’s Messiah? The best has not yet been composed nor produced. They can use the coming of Christ to the Nephites as the material for a greater masterpiece. Our artists tomorrow may write and sing of Christ’s spectacular return to the American earth in power and great glory, and his establishment of the kingdom of God on the earth in our own dispensation. No Handel nor other composer of the past or present or future could ever do justice to this great event. How could one ever portray in words and music the glories of the coming of the Father and the Son and the restoration of the doctrines and the priesthood and the keys unless he were an inspired Latter-day Saint, schooled in the history and doctrines and revelations and with rich musical ability and background and training?

George Bernard Shaw, the Irish dramatist and critic (1856–1950), summed up an approach to life: “Other people,” he said, “see things and say, ‘WHY?’ But I dream things that never were—and I say, ‘WHY NOT?’ ” We need people who can dream of things that never were, and ask, “WHY NOT?”

And Niccolo Paganini, the Italian violinist (1782–1840)! Why cannot we discover, train, and present many Paganinis and other such great artists? And shall we not present before the musical world a pianist to excel in astonishing power of execution, depth of expression, sublimity of noble feeling, the noted Hungarian pianist and composer, Liszt (1811–86)? We have already produced some talented artists at the piano, but I have a secret hope to live long enough to hear and see at the piano a greater performer than Paderewski, the Polish statesman, composer, and pianist (1860–1941). Surely all Paderewskis were not born in Poland in the last century; all talented people with such outstanding recreative originality, with such nervous power and such romantic appearance were not concentrated in this one body and two hands! Certainly this noted pianist with his arduous super-brilliant career was not the last of such to be born!

But then we ask, “Can there never be another Michelangelo?” Ah! Yes! His David in Florence and his Moses in Rome inspire us to the point of adulation. Did all such talent run out in that early century? Could not we find a living talent like this, but with a soul that was free from immorality and sensuality and intolerance?

It has been said that many of the great artists were perverts or moral degenerates. In spite of their immorality they became great and celebrated artists. What could be the result if discovery were made of equal talent in men who were clean and free from the vices, and thus entitled to revelations?

Then there is Shakespeare (1564–1616). Everybody quotes Shakespeare. This English poet and dramatist was prodigious in his productions. His Hamlet and Othello and King Lear and Macbeth are only preludes to the great mass of his productions. Has anyone else ever been so versatile, so talented, so remarkable in his art? And yet could the world produce only one Shakespeare?

Oh, how our world needs statesmen! And we ask again with George Bernard Shaw, “Why not?” We have the raw material, we have the facilities, we can excel in training. We have the spiritual climate. We must train statesmen, not demagogues; men of integrity, not weaklings who for a mess of pottage will sell their birthright. We must develop these precious youth to know the art of statesmanship, to know people and conditions, to know situations and problems, but men who will be trained so thoroughly in the arts of their future work and in the basic honesties and integrities and spiritual concepts that there will be no compromise of principle.

For years I have been waiting for someone to do justice in recording in song and story and painting and sculpture the story of the Restoration, the reestablishment of the kingdom of God on earth, the struggles and frustrations; the apostasies and inner revolutions and counter-revolutions of those first decades; of the exodus; of the counter-reactions; of the transitions; of the persecution days; of the miracle man, Joseph Smith, of whom we sing “Oh, what rapture filled his bosom, For he saw the living God” (Hymns, no. 136); and of the giant colonizer and builder, Brigham Young.

We are proud of the artistic heritage that the Church has brought to us from its earliest beginnings, but the full story of Mormonism has never yet been written nor painted nor sculpted nor spoken. It remains for inspired hearts and talented fingers yet to reveal themselves. They must be faithful, inspired, active Church members to give life and feeling and true perspective to a subject so worthy. Such masterpieces should run for months in every movie center, cover every part of the globe in the tongues of the people, written by great artists, purified by the best critics.

Our writers, our motion picture specialists, with the inspiration of heaven, should tomorrow be able to produce a masterpiece which would live forever. Our own talent, obsessed with dynamism from a worthy goal, could put into such a story life and heartbeats and emotions and love and pathos, drama, suffering, fear, courage; and they could put into it the great leader, the mighty modern Moses who led a people farther than from Egypt to Jericho, who knew miracles as great as the stream from the rock at Horeb, manna in the desert, giant grapes, rain when needed, battles won against great odds.

Take a Nicodemus and put Joseph Smith’s spirit in him, and what do you have? Take a da Vinci or a Michelangelo or a Shakespeare and give him a total knowledge of the plan of salvation of God and personal revelation and cleanse him, and then take a look at the statues he will carve and the murals he will paint and the masterpieces he will produce. Take a Handel with his purposeful effort, his superb talent, his earnest desire to properly depict the story, and give him inward vision of the whole true story and revelation, and what a master you have!

We must recognize that excellence and quality are a reflection of how we feel about ourselves and about life and about God. If we don’t care much about these basic things, then such not caring carries over into the work we do, and our work becomes shabby and shoddy.
Real craftsmanship, regardless of the skill involved, reflects real caring, and real caring reflects our attitude about ourselves, about our fellowmen, and about life.

I had to read this article for my English class and I found it very inspiring. I love the arts and truly appreciate fine work, talent, and craftsmanship.

"If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."-13th Article of Faith

I love what President Kimball had to say about excellence and rising above mediocrity. I also love how he encouraged us to care about everything we do. The quality of our work and even our very being is representative of how we feel about ourselves and God. We must care about God, ourselves, others, art, and life!

It has only been two days, but I am loving school. This should be a wonderful and challenging semester. Here we go!

AT&T Rethink Possible - Blanket Commercial

I love this commercial! I mostly love it just because of the Arch and Mississippi River. I will be there next week. My dad and brothers arrived today and Nate and I will meet them out there, along with my mamma next week. Two classes down, three to go this semester. woot woot!

I've been on a commercial kick today. Maybe I should go into advertising. We'll see . . .

"Back In St. Louis . . ."

When I was 12 my family moved from St. Louis, Missouri to St. George, Utah. Talk about culture shock! My dear friend Jen always heard my brother and I say, "Back in St. Louis... blah blah blah." I'm sure my brothers and I were pretty obnoxious with all of our St. Louis talk, but that was our home. It wasn't until late in my high school years and even after I moved away that I fully appreciated Utah. I really liked this video because it took be back to my St. Louis days! I am anxious for the semester to be over so that I can take Nate to St. Louis and basque in the Midwestern humidity and Ted Drewes! Gotta love it.

Glee+ Nelly= Love/ Summer/ Get me through the semester music!

Hello Summer!

For Memorial Day we went to the beach with tons of friends from the ward. The day felt different from Memorial days in my childhood. We've always celebrated in somewhat more patriotic ways, but it was a great day to get away from the city and to get some sun...perhaps too much sun for Nate and I. Sunblock is our new friend for the summer. If you can't tell by the pictures, I'm a little obsessed with the girl in the pink hat! Little Sadie had a darling new swim suit, lots of new words, plenty of snacks to share, and a love for the sand! We took the train with Becky and Brandon in the morning. Nate can't get enough of Caden. Needless to say, we had tons of fun and we all got in the ocean this time, not just the boys. We had a blast. Now it's back to business. Seven more weeks of school, and then we're off to St. Louis for a family reunion. Can't wait!

Dear Beach,

Thanks for distracting me from midterms!

We'll meet again.

Love,

Rach

New Found Fun!

Two weeks ago I needed somthing to do besides homework and housework, so I started watching "Make it or Break it" (a gymnastics drama) on Hulu. Needless to say, I'm addicted. There was a really pretty song on the latest episode, and I can't get it to embed but here is the link. It's called "Crushed & Created" by Caitlyn Smith.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uim1gfN909g
Crushed and CreatedBy Caitlyn Smith/Sara Groves/Gordon Kennedy

Looking back on the things that found me
Places I would never choose
The same things that both haunt and heal
My demons and my muse

We are crushed and created
Melted and made
Broken and built up in the very same way
What I thought I could handle
What I thought I could take
What I thought would destroy me
Leaves me stronger in its wake

And there are times that I’ve underestimated
Both the grief and goodness found in something new
Where one thing dies, something else can be created
And though it’s truth you find, it’s innocence you lose

I’m not the me that I started with
My friends say my eyes are brighter
I’m not the me that I started with
I’m freer, and I’m wiser, and I’m stronger…

It leaves me stronger

Happy 2009! some new news

Us on our honeymoon in our super cute glasses! Yes our honeymoon was quite a while ago.
We like to take pictures with funny glasses...just wait...
You like all of my fly aways?!
Alright well, I posted the pictures in the opposite order of what I was thinking, but that is okay. I'll just start with our news first. We are so excited because our friends Nate and Erin Russell and their 5 month old baby girl Rachael will be living here in New York City with us for 3 1/2 months! It will be such a blessing to have them living on our same street...it took some persuading their landlord, but they scored a sweet apartment. It will be just like old times...well kind of. Erin and I became friends in high school. We danced together, worked at Iceberg Drive Inn together, and were roommates in college. We even started dating our husbands about the same time, and they married four months before us. We were both blessed with husbands named Nate who are accounting majors. Joy for us!!! We love them! I'm so glad that Erin and I will be together during the boys' busy season. Her husband Nate is going to be doing an internship with PriceWaterhouseCooper in the tax department. I can't wait to meet Rachael!!!
The next piece of news is that I've started my online classes through BYU-Idaho. I was accepted into the BUS program which stands for Bachelors of University Studies. It means that I'll earn my degree online and the degree will consist of two minors and a cluster. For now I'm planning on English and History being my minors and Communications being the cluster. My only other option would be to do Business instead of History, but I can't bring myself to do that one yet. I think I'll leave the business classes to Nate. And wherever we live later on I could always get my teaching certificate in either English or history. I feel like I have more purpose now that school is underway for me again. I have always enjoyed learning.
That lovely billboard advertising holiday merchandise at Gap is significant because next week will most likely be my last week working there. I've been offered a nanny/babysitting position from a couple in our ward who have a little girl named Sadie. She is so precious and still so small. My mom and I were talking about how everything in life prepares you for what is next, even when we may not recognize it until later on. This has been true in my life in many instances, so I'm grateful for the experience and the camaraderie that I've felt at Gap. I really do love the job and the people that I work with. It has been a great job to help me transition into the city, not to mention I love their clothes...Nate and I have both made some pretty important purchases so the discount came in handy. We both got new peacoats. Nate looks the part of a New York business man now! And I got all the purple merchandise that my heart desired...I'm done buying everything purple, though it is still a fabulous color. Anyway, my point is the nannying job will be very rewarding and it will allow me to actually have a routine and nearly the same schedule as Nathan (excluding busy season...Good Luck to all CPAs the next few months...and all their loved ones too!) This new job will also be great because it will allow for Erin and I to hangout with our babies together.
And finally.... I told you that we love silly glasses!!! Here are some more to celebrate the new year! Funny thing is we took these pictures just a couple days after Thanksgiving. We actually celebrated New Years together like true New Yorkers...inside our cozy apartment! No way were we going to go freeze our rears off for hours in Time Square.
And sadly, for some reason we cannot get our pictures from our Christmas trip to Utah to load, but we had a wonderful trip. I made that list of things that I wanted to do when I went to Utah and it was impossible to complete...we did things that weren't on that list and I missed out on doing and seeing some others. The most important part was that we spent quality time with the family!! It was wonderful. I did reveal my big surprise...it wasn't me being pregnant...it was my brother Donny! He drove all the way from Kansas City Missouri and got there the day after we did. No one except myself, Nate, and Dad knew that he was coming. When he got there the family was at Grandma and Grandpa Snow's house to have breakfast for dinner. I couldn't take the smile off of my face when I walked in. I covered it up by giving Grandma and Grandpa hugs and being so happy to be home. Then, I said are you ready for my surprise? Everyone was confused and said sure. I ran and got Donny who was waiting outside, and when I brought him in everyone screamed. Mom's reaction was the best! I was so glad that we kept it a secret. She laughed and cried and she couldn't believe it. The boys were ecstatic too. We called Danny and he came right over when he heard who was in town for Christmas. This was one of the best Christmases that our family has ever had. We pulled names this year for all of the kids. Everyone really thought about what to get each other. This was the first Christmas in years that Donny has been with us. He said, "This was the best Christmas since St. Louis!!" Meaning the best Christmas since we lived in St. Louis. On this trip I was able to take Jake and Nate to the Caldwells house for the second year in a row, its become tradition to visit them each year at Christmas. They have been a second family to me since Tawny and I had drivers ed together. This was a special visit though because Tawny received her mission call on Dec. 19th!! She will be serving in Brazil and she leaves the end of March. I am so proud of her and so grateful for her and her family! Glad we got to see them. These are just a few highlights. Hopefully we can get some pictures soon.